The concert was amazing, despite the two hour delay due to a thunderstorm blowing through the area. Once the threat of lightning spearing performers or people in the audience passed, the PWTB let us back into our seats and the concert started despite the intermittent rain. Luckily, just hours before I’d purchased a brand new rain coat at the L.L. Bean store. I was prepared!
Bruce and the band entertained us for three hours and forty-five minutes, doing 33 songs – not counting the entire stadium singing Happy Birthday to the Boss at the end. Bruce turned 63 today. I don’t know about his diet, but the man seriously works out. He is very fit, and has to be to keep performing and touring this way. (Allow me a shallow moment. Whatever exercises he does to work his glutes is highly effective. IMNSHO, the man has an excellent ass.)
Anytime I go to a Springsteen comment, it’s going to be a major hit of happy, but I had some particularly fine moments yesterday. Again, I celebrated ease of walking. It didn’t matter where we parked, I didn’t worry about wearing myself out or straining my knee before the show even started. Our seats were only about a dozen rows from the top of the big football stadium which meant we had to climb up about a dozen rows. While it was still a bit challenging on my weaker knee, this was not nearly as traumatic as a couple of years ago when I had to stop several times to catch my breath while ascending to my seat. Good thing because, since they evacuated the “seating bowl” before the storm, we ended up having to do the climb twice. Like my airplane seat the day before, once I reached my seat I could comfortably sit. I wasn’t squeezing the people to either side and, when I stood up to dance (frequently), I didn’t feel like I was blocking the view of everyone behind me. Booyah!
Prior to the concert, I had a great deal of fun with friends. We went shopping. The stores up here in the Northeast have their summer merchandise on sale at great clearance prices. I ventured into yet another department store. This time it was Macy’s, where I haven’t shopped for clothes for myself in more than 20 years. This is much easier to cope with when I have friends around to offer support. I was able to actually zip myself into a pair of quality shorts that are two sizes smaller than I’m wearing now. The fact that I could get them on and close the zipper was somewhat miraculous. I won’t wear them this tight, but they’ll be just right in a month or two. At 65% off, they were also a bargain, as were the khaki cropped pants one size smaller than I’m wearing that I discovered I can actually fit into. My body is changing faster than I thought! Taking advantage of the great prices, I found a top on clearance at Macy’s and another pair of smaller pants at Lane Bryant. This allows me to plan ahead for where I’m heading without spending a boat load of money.
The L.L. Bean trip was necessary and, on the surface, a bit daunting. The raincoat I have at home is huge on me now, so much so that when I wore it to prepare for T.S. Isaac, rain got in through the gapping collar and I was soaked on all layers.
I’m not used to being able to walk into a “regular” store and find stuff. I knew that I could order what I wanted from the catalog, and I was fairly confident that I now would fit into a woman’s 1X or 2X size raincoat. My friend suggested we try the store first because there’s no sales tax on clothes in Jersey and I could feel and assess the garment when on. Imagine my delight when I found exactly what I wanted and could actually wear it! Bonus, it’s a two-in-1 which means it has a fleece layer that I can leave in or zip out. I’m going to be up in the North again at Christmas and my winter coats are also way too big. I’ll be able to use this coat to stay warm on that trip. Not only do I now feel that I’ve gained a functional coat, but each time I shop a store that is not specially designed for “plus size” women, it builds my confidence.
This weekend, I’ve been really social which means eating out for most meals. Everyone I was with knows that I had weight loss surgery. They’re all great, loving, supportive friends. I don’t wig out over what they’ll think about my food choices. The ones on Friday specifically asked if there was anything special that I needed. At this stage of my recovery, I can eat almost any kind of food if I want as long as I remain careful about how I eat and the quantity I consume. This creates less stress. I still travel with my standbys — cheese wedges and peanut butter — but most of the time I’m confident that I can fit my needs pretty much everywhere.
Take Cheesecake Factory for example. We ordered mostly appetizers which provided a selection of yummy food without overloading our plates or tempting me to overeat. I was able to create a tasty, adequate lunch for myself out of steamed edamame, white bean hummus, and beet & goat cheese salad. My friends shared and then also had appetizers of their own which they were willing to share if I was interested. Even with three of us, we had plenty of edamame and hummus left. The friend who was going to the concert with me took the hummus home since I didn’t have access to a fridge for storage and snacking where I’m staying. She also took home the edamame to transfer to a resealable plastic bag. We brought that with us to the concert so I had some protein to much on for the evening.
Today at lunch with friends, we went to a restaurant that offered a wide range of dishes, including several small plate selections. I had lamb sliders with feta. There were three on the plate but I was satisfied with two, leaving behind the buns. A friend and I shared a dessert — yummy chocolate truffle cake of which two bites more than satisfied my craving. Tonight’s dinner included beef teriyaki. I’m happy that Janet’s mother is going to enjoy the large portion of leftovers from my dish. 🙂
With all of the activity of visiting with friends, shopping, eating out and a terrific concert, I’m happy to say I haven’t neglected my exercise. We hoofed around a lot yesterday, to say the least. While it might not exactly have been a workout, from walking around a mall to climbing all of those stadium steps, I feel like I wasn’t lazy. This morning I took advantage of the hotel’s health club and logged good cardio time on the recumbent bike and treadmill. I can squeeze in another session tomorrow before I head to the airport for the flight home.
Hearing that I’m doing so well could be getting boring for everyone. I hope not, but if so, please stick with me. I’m sure that sooner or later I’ll run into a stumble, obstacle, or new realization. In the meantime, I continue to practice recognizing the positive progress and acknowledging it to myself. Success begets more success. I want to keep building onto and strengthening my foundations and perpetuate more success in the future.
Weighty Matters 
Not boring at all!!! I love to read that you’re doing well!
Reading that you are doing well is not boring! 🙂 I’m enjoying your success vicariously. I love hearing that daily living is getting easier. That you fit better.
Something must be in the air. Krissie started walking. You did awesome at the stadium. I tackled the hill at the nearby arboretum. It’s nice to make progress. Go Team ReFab!
Egads
I love beets on my salad. And goat cheese, or blue cheese. Yum! I like your food choices and it’s good to hear the pleasure your finding in life. Envy you the Springsteen concert. : )
Some of that food has me drooling. Edamame. White bean hummus. Yum. You eat well, now that you’ve made so many changes. I live in a non-foody suburb, so don’t get too much in the way of cool food. But I don’t like to eat out alone, so I don’t eat out much, so it works out okay. I can get frozen edamame and I could find a recipe for white bean hummus. And I can make a salad with goat cheese.
Reading how well you are doing is a joy and a pleasure, so keep it up! I’m happy that you are fitting into smaller clothing and doing better at physical things. Always happy to read about your successes. And drool over some of your food choices. 🙂
I don’t read blogs the same way I do a novel I’m copyediting. I don’t hope for problems and conflict, so I’m GLAD to read that you’re fitting into smaller things and climbing to greater heights. 😉 WTG!
But the beet and goat cheese combination didn’t sound good at all! lol